The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-05-20

buin run up thr ough the neck into the body
OF the bag and extend to the top, one is the
valve and the other the rip rope. The valve
In The World balloon Is the size Of a barrel
head. II is round, with mid-rlb, and from
this mid-rb the two semlcircular valve lids
work. series OF stout plate springs keep the
lids pressed up, but to each lid at its outer
edge is a screw eye, from this the valve cord
runs When this cord 10 pulled the valve
is opened and the gas runs out at a great
rate The instant the strain is relaxed, the
valves close and the escape OF gas shut OIL.
The whole device is by close side ianges into
to the muslin near the crown. The pulling
of the vave-rope when a descent is desired
the running out of sand from bag when
an ascent is wished and the eronaut has it
within his power, so long as there Is Gny gas
remains In the big bag over his head, to me-
andcr through the realms Of space. Suppose,
though, that landing TO be made, and that
It is necessary to bring the balloon to sud
den standstIll; perhaps wind on the sur
face is sending the balloon along at a swishing
rate dragging the car over the ground, or
body OF water may be ahead, or precipice or
any other obstacle which the traveller does
not wish 10 encounter Then comes In the
rip-cord. Running up the side of the bal
loon Is a stout piece OF shoe-tape. Ii is
sewed 10 the muslin for distance OF forty
feet or more. At its top end, near the bal
loon apex, 1t is passed through the muslin
material and cord is attached and carried
down within the reach Of the @ronauts In
! the car. stout pull Of this cord, 1t will be
seen tears great rent In the side OF the bal
loon, and several stout pulls leaves the big
bag with tear forty feet long in its upper
I ection, and almost in a twinkling of an eye
the car is on the ground and the proud and
airy balloon bag is stretched along the sod
mere heap Of oily rags In appearance.
Now for the equipment Of the vessel. There
Is really none In the strict sense of the term,
but vast deal Of odds and ends are TO be
carried for use when occasion demands. Mr..
Moore always carries with him thermometer
to tell him Of the approach Of clouds by the
sudden drop in temperature, barometer as
d height measurer and compass to deter
mine the direction In which the craft may be
drifting. Then there will be two grapple-an-
ehors--one a big one about fifty pounds weight
able to hold a good-szed water craft in any
|
pounds in weight by which stray porSer or
the roof of haystack could be taken of with
out trouble and with the utmost neatness
should the grapple be hanging out of the bal
loon under full sail. A weeks supply Of pro-
visions for four, since the landing may be In
the backwoods of Canada and q long tramp
be necessary to reach civilization. Firearms,
too, may be necessary for use after landing.
Several long, stout ropes will be taken, as
they would be OF great service In making
landing by the aid of outsiders. Then from
each corner Of the balloon car will hang down
ropes about one hundred feet long, and at the
bottom of each bag OF sand weighing 100
pounds. In other words, suppose the car is
coming down, and at right smart pace, too,
so soon as these bags touch the ground or
water 400 pounds OF dead weight is taken
from the machine, and at once the force is
checked. With two American flags floating
from the car ends not entirely for ornament,
but as well to tell the direction of the wind
Or, rather, OF the balloon-through the air,
and the whole craft is complete.
THE voYAdERs AND THEIR DUTIES
Each voyager will take good stout clothing
and warm overcoat, since in the thin upper
atmosphere 1t is not easy to keep the blood In
circulation and landing in high latitude
may require the comfort OF stout overcoat
The photographer of the expedition will be
Mr. John G. Doughty, Of Winsted. He is a
little man with big beard and goes up as en-
expert In @rial photography No man has
been more successful than he in this line c,
art work and the series Of photos taken by him
on small trip over Connecticut in company
with Mr.. Moore have shown some surprising
phenomena. The photo Of cloud taken at
short range of the under side of cloud with
the sun shining up at 1t, OF the shadow OF
balloon cast upon cloud invisible to the hui
man eye all OF these have been taken while
OF ordinary bird's.eye view pictures with the
State Of Connecticut spread out on a carpet
beneath him he has enough TO fit out map
shop. He will take along an instrument,
taking a 5xs plate, with extra lne Swiss leu
ses. He will have 100 plates extra sensitive
and the photos taken will be instantaneous in
the fullest degree. He is looking forward to a
rich harvest In the way OF pictures.
When the expedition was planned the head
Of the Signal Service was invited to place an
observer in the car. This opportunity was
gladly accepted and w. Allen Hazen, of that
Office, designated as the man for the position.
That gentleman has been busy for some time
past making his preparations for the trip in
order to extract from this rare opportunity the
best possible results for meteorological
science.
The plan of the trip is to make start from
St. Louis early In June or such time when the
moon may be at the full, since 1t is the inten-
ton to have the balloon remain up over night,
and It is desirable that all conditions be favor.